The Chef's Cut - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

René Redzepi - Noma Controversy, the $1,500 LA Pop-Up, and What Happens Next?! Mar 16, 2026

Show notes

This week on the Chef’s Cut, Adrienne and Joe react to René Redzepi stepping down from Noma amid allegations of past abuse. They talk about how this story has reverberated throughout the world of fine dining, and speculate on how it will influence kitchens going forward. In this episode, we discuss:

The $1500 Noma pop-up in Los Angeles
Abuse in restaurants and why the new generation of chefs aren’t putting up with it
Noma and René Redzepi’s impact on the fine dining industry
How diners vote with their dollars
Joe’s thoughts on running a positive and supportive kitchen
Adrienne’s own stories of enduring abusive behavior in the kitchen

Follow the show: @chefscutpod

Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham

Follow Joe: @insta.flamm

Hospitality Series (Pt. 1): Beard Award Buzz, Top Chef Restaurant Wars, and What Makes a Restaurant Great!! Mar 09, 2026

Show notes

Adrienne and Joe sit down for part one of our three part series on restaurant hospitality and the role of the restauranteur. They preview our upcoming conversations with Simon Kim and Drew Nieporent, including their James Beard accolades and insights into creating a unique restaurant experience. In this episode, we discuss:

Joe and his team were nominated for a James Beard award!
What does Joe focus on when he opens a restaurant? (hint: don’t ignore the bathrooms)
Top Chef Restaurant Wars memories
Lessons from front of the house, including a master class on service
Walk In Confession: Adrienne tells us about the time she almost opened her own restaurant after Top Chef

Follow the show: @chefscutpod

Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham

Follow Joe: @insta.flamm

Padma Takes On Top Chef, Judging Secrets, and the Evolution of Food TV!! Mar 02, 2026

Show notes

Cooking competition shows are heating up this week as Padma Lakshmi’s new show (America’s Culinary Cup) takes on Top Chef. Adrienne and Joe debate which format will win out, and whether or not the Culinary Cup will capture our attention. In this episode, we discuss:

The new ACC format and fine dining focus
Judging vs competing: Which is more fun?
The secrets of judging on food tv
Would you rather: 30-minute quick fires vs doing a dish demo
How cooking shows used to be (teach us something!) vs today’s style of TV
Walk In Confession: Joe’s memories of competing on Iron Chef

Follow the show: @chefscutpod

Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham

Follow Joe: @insta.flamm

Eli Sussman On Memes, Mistakes, and Making Fun of Restaurant Life!! Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

Viral Chef Eli Sussman joins Adrienne and Joe to talk about how he became a hero to line cooks everywhere. They discuss his relatable kitchen humor, how he gained such a large and devoted social media following, and why certain things are true no matter what restaurant you work in. In this episode, we discuss:

Eli’s biggest lessons from opening (and closing) restaurants, including gertrude's in Brooklyn
Eli’s upcoming satire book – and the shortcomings of the self-help industry
Learning the ropes as a chef (and how to manage a team)
The mistakes all restaurant owners make when they’re new
Hosting a show at the James Beard awards
Turn and Burn: Sandwich bread, too many knives, and fine dining snobbery
Walk In Confession: Eli’s biggest regret and the story of his Samesa chain of restaurants

Follow Eli: @thesussmans

Follow the show: @chefscutpod

Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham

Follow Joe: @insta.flamm

Nina Compton on The Top Chef Runner-Up Club, Caribbean Cuisine’s Ascent and Mardi Gras Madness!! Feb 16, 2026

Show notes

Award-winning chef and Top-Chef runner-up Nina Compton joins Adrienne and Joe to talk about the rise of Caribbean cuisine, Mardi Gras in a New Orleans kitchen, and life after Top Chef. In this episode, we discuss:

Caribbean food finally getting its moment in fine dining
Representing Caribbean cuisine on Top Chef
The joys of being in the Top Chef “Second Place Club”
Nina’s experience moving to New Orleans and opening Compère Lapin
Turn and Burn: Mardi Gras traditions
Walk In Confession: Nina’s first Mardi Gras mishap

Follow Nina: @ninacompton

Follow the show: @chefscutpod

Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham

Follow Joe: @insta.flamm

Valentine’s Day Romance vs Reality and Falling Head-Over-Heels for Food!! Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

Adrienne and Joe are digging into the busiest restaurant holiday of the year: Valentine’s Day. They tell us why the prix fixe menu is essential to success, operational challenges when everyone needs a two-top, and what chefs really think of the holiday. Plus, we discuss:

Special Valentine's Day menus: Expectations vs. Reality
How chefs would rather spend the holiday when they have the day off
Restaurant friendships and how to maintain your bond after someone moves on
The real drama of workplace breakups
Playing games with your fellow chefs to maintain motivation
Turn and Burn: Lava Cake vs Chocolate Soufflé

Follow the show: @chefscutpod

Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham

Follow Joe: @insta.flamm

Byron Gomez on Burger King Beginnings, Life After Top Chef, and Meeting Michelin Expectations!! Feb 02, 2026

Show notes

Top Chef alum and Michelin star chef Byron Gomez of BRUTØ joins us to talk about his path from fast food roots to the world of fine dining. Plus, we discuss:

Skipping culinary school and whether or not it’s a prerequisite to success as a chef
Completing the “culinary treble” at three of the highest profile restaurants in New York
Learning from Daniel Boulud and taking the leap to a new kitchen
Relocating to Denver + cooking your own steak and the “Minturn Baked Potato” ice cream dish
The joy of interacting with Top Chef fans in your restaurant
Byron’s creative use of seasonal ingredients to make surprising dishes later (including a creamsicle dish inspired by New York ice cream trucks)
Walk In Confession: Almost getting fired for accidentally taking the boss’s phone

Follow Byron: @chefbyrongomez

Follow the show: @chefscutpod

Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham

Follow Joe: @insta.flamm

Super Bowl Snacks, Burger Hype, and the Internet’s Case Against Opening a Restaurant!! Jan 26, 2026

Show notes

The Super Bowl is just over a week away so Adrienne and Joe try the latest viral snack, Reverse Jalapeño Poppers. They also debate some of your favorite Super Bowl snacks and traditions (ranch or blue cheese?) before the big game arrives. Plus, we discuss:

A listener’s “Salted” Take: Is it ever worth taking a special trip just to try a new burger?
We respond to the latest viral video that tells people never to open a restaurant
Is it harder than ever to open a restaurant? Still worth the trouble?
Adrienne’s Walk In Confession involves measuring incorrectly and failing to wash the herbs

Follow the show: @chefscutpod

Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham

Follow Joe: @insta.flamm

Michael Anthony’s Gramercy Tavern Legacy, His First New Restaurant in 20 Years & a Skyline Chili Debate!! Jan 19, 2026

Show notes

Adrienne and Joe are joined by acclaimed Chef Michael Anthony to talk about his time at the iconic Gramercy Tavern, and what he hopes to achieve at his new restaurant, Lex Yard at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Plus, we discuss:

His biggest mistake after taking over the kitchen at Gramercy Tavern
The most exciting things about launching at the Waldorf Astoria and why its history is so important
His journey from Indiana to Japan, then to France, and finally to New York City
What it means to have “courage” in the kitchen and whether or not the industry has gotten too soft (hint: it hasn’t)
Reinventing and updating the Waldorf Salad
Fork It or Forget It: Skyline Chili (compliments of Michael's hometown)
Walk In Confession: Mike finds an emergency hire and somehow doesn’t live to regret it

Follow Michael: @chefmikeanthony

Follow the show: @chefscutpod

Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham

Follow Joe: @insta.flamm

Michelin Guide Controversy, New Year’s Goals and the Internet's Favorite Phyllo Cake!! Jan 12, 2026

Show notes

Adrienne and Joe are back in the new year and tell us all about their biggest goals for what lies ahead, including TV hosting aspirations and building more community among local chefs. Plus, we discuss:

The most controversial Michelin star upgrades (and downgrades) among major American restaurants
Why it means so much to get one or more Michelin stars and how it impacts a restaurant
A surprising stat about just how many black chefs have (and have not) received a Michelin star
Fork It or Forget It: Adrienne baked the viral phyllo dough cake
Walk In Confession: Joe’s grueling wait to find out if he got his first Michelin star

Follow the show: @chefscutpod

Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham

Follow Joe: @insta.flamm